Public Relations In Nigeria

IN AN EXHAUSTIVE MANNER, CLEARLY, DELINEATE THE MAJOR DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PUBLIC RELATIONS AND PRESS RELATIONS TO PUBLIC RELATIONS PRACTICE IN NIGERIA

In Nigeria, the public tends to mix the two professions in their roles and responsibilities, this emanates from the fact that both share the same attributes and familiar traits. They pursue the same goal, to create public awareness through varied means and application. Both are in a symmetrical relationship in which organisations can interact with the publics(Sandra Oliver,2010).They both provide information to society.The media ecosystem today tends towards expansion and convergence of activities and there is a continued trend of the conglomeration of media industries( Machesney, 2004).This

Their roles and goals are wide apart just as their experiences delineate them in compartments. The general public is served by the press through broadcast, TV, radio, newspapers and through multiple channels in the new media. Somehow, they do not only serve the interest of the newspapers that employed them they also serve the public. So, the main function of the media is providing the audience with the news they need to determine their lives. By extension the media serves as a watchdog of society by giving relevant information to the public for action or reaction against social ills, thereby exposing the people to make comments and contribute to the development of humanity. The press is just after the news, it is neither a friend nor a foe, and they are always on the lookout for interesting news (Dilenschneida, 2000). So the main essence of the media is not only to work for the media houses, but also to represent the interest of the

The public relations practitioner is employed by an organisation or a person to manage information and burnish the image to the public. It is a management job engaged in monitoring and gauging public attitude and sustaining the link between an organisation and its internal and external publics(Seema Hasan,2013).The sole aim of public relations practice is to serve an organisation or an institution in its relationship with the publics through a deliberate, systematic and planned programmes of action(Nwanna,2014)The role of the public relations person does not stop with giving the public pieces of relevant information ,but also to adjust public disposition to the gains certain company or cause(Jacquiline Roger,(2013).Various actions are deployed as regards reading, writing, publishing, broadcasting, and audio-visual to press the message to the particular audience. This is done through interviews, public awareness, brochures and an even documentary on the concerned party. The job of the public relation practitioner will be to place these in the news media This is done to sustain and sustain cordial relationship with the audience as most organisations plan their relationship with the media as part of their overall public relations policy(Sandra Oliver,2010)This necessitates the capacity of the public relations practitioner to conduct research and look for avenues for gather information for the public about his organisation .The is a